Sewing machine supporting bases and carrying cases



June 23, 1959 2,891,349

SEWING MACHINE SUPPORTING BASES-AND CARRYING CASES '5. J. KETTER'ER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1957' INVENTOR. Stanley J. Kefferer Fig. 2

' BY v E ATEORNEY WITNESS June' 23, 1959 5. J. KETTERER SEWING MACHINE SUPPORTING BASES AND CARRYING CASES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1957 I NV ENTOR.

Stanley J. Kefferer WITNESS ATTORNE June 23, 1959 s. J. KETTERER 2,891,349

' sswmc MACHINE SUPPORTING BASES'AND CARRYING CASES Filed Nov. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

WITNESS I I I Stanley J. Kefferer June 23, 1959 s. J. KETTERER 2,891,349

SEWING MACHINE SUPPORTING BASES AND CARRYING CASES Filed Nov. 29, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- INVENTOR. Stanley J. Kefterer WITNESS TORNEY SEWING MACHINE SUPPORTING BASES AND CARRYING ASES Stanley J. Ketterer, Stratford, Conn, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 29, 1957, Serial No. 699,754

4 Claims. (Cl. 459-682) This invention relates to carrying cases for sewing machines and more particularly to a carrying case for portable cylinder bed sewing machines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carrying case for a portable cylinder bed sewing machine including a cover and a carrying case base in which the carrying case base provides a flat work supporting extension to the conventional cylinder bed of the sewing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carrying case of the above character in which both the carrying case base and cover may be applied to or removed from the sewing machine without the necessity of lifting or otherwise handling the sewing machine.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means for securing the carrying case base to the cylinder bed of a sewing machine frame permitting ready separation and removal therefrom in preparing the machine to accommodate tubular work.

With the above and additional objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevational view of a carrying case in accordance with this invention as applied to a portable cylinder bed sewing machine.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the carrying case base alone.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the supporting base including a portion of the sewing machine to which the base is secured taken at various elevations, showing, in the top portion, the cross section through the magnetic latch holding the carrying case base portions together and, in the bottom portion, the cross section through the locating pin connection between the carrying case base portions. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged left end elevational view of the left hand portion of the supporting base of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged right end elevational view of the right hand portion of the supporting base of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 represents a top plan view of a modified form of carrying case base with a hinged drop leaf and in which portions of the top surface of the carrying case base and a portion of the drop leaf have been broken away.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view showing the latch device for securing the carrying case base portions together taken substantially along line 77 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view showing the latch device for securing the carrying case base to the sewing machine taken substantially along line 88 of Fig. 6 and including a fragment of a sewing machine of the type illustrated in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the sewing machine, indicated generally as 10, to which the carrying case of this invention is applied, is substantially as disclosed and described in the copending U.S. patent application of M. R. Perla, Serial No. 565,112, filed February 13, 1956, now Patent No. 2,810,299, to which reference may be had. The sewing machine is of the type having a so-called cyl- States Paten;

inder bed 11 extending free-ended in cantilever fashion from a machine base 12 so that tubular articles of relatively small diameter may be accommodated on the cylinder bed. Secured beneath the sewing machine base 12 is a generally U shaped tubular machine supporting member 13. As indicated in Fig. 1 and also illustrated in Figs. 3 and 8, the open ends 14-14 of the tubular machine supporting member are exposed at the rear of the sewing machine supporting base. As illustrated in Fig. 3, a transverse aperture 15 is formed in the bight or loop portion of the U shaped tubular member adjacent the free extremity of the sewing machine cylinder bed. The open ends 14-14 and the aperture 15 of the tubular machine supporting member serve, as will be described hereinbelow, to accommodate locating and securing pins of the carrying case base.

The sewing machine described above is a portable machine in the sense that it is designed to be sustained in use on any available flat horizontal surface such as a table top, desk, counter or the like and does not require a special sewing machine cabinet. The carrying case of this invention provides not only a container to protect the sewing machine during storage and to facilitate carrying the machine from place to place, but also as a means for providing an extension of the fiat horizontal work supporting surface of the cylinder bed so that the cylinder bed machine may be converted into the equivalent of a flat bed sewing machine when flat Work is to be stitched.

As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the carrying case comprises a generally trapezoidal cover 20 which is open at the bottom and fits snugly over a generally trapezoidal carrying case base made up of two lengthwise separable sections 21 and 22. A pair of latches 23 carried one on each end wall of the cover 20 cooperate with keepers 24 secured one on the end wall of each of the carrying case base sections 21 and 22 to lock the cover securely in place on the base. The latches and keepers may be of the type disclosed with greater particularity in the copending U.S. patent application of E. P. Tarle, Serial No. 590,512, filed June 11, 1956, to which reference may be had. A handle 25 is secured atop the cover 20 by which the carrying case may be grasped and moved.

The carrying case base sections 21 and 22 provide an extension of the upper work supporting surface of the cylinder bed 11 of the sewing machine. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 to 5, the carrying case base sections are each formed with sidewall portions 26 of which the outside surfaces are inclined slightly to conform with the trapezoidal shape of the cover. The carrying case base sections are each open at the bottom and partially closed by flat top sections 27 and 28, the top section 27 being secured on the base section 21 and top section 28 being secured on the base section 22. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the line of juncture between the base sections occurs substantially at the juncture of the cylinder bed 11 with the machine base 12 of the sewing machine. The top section 27 is accordingly provided with an opening 29 shaped to conform with the outline in horizontal projection of the top of the cylinder bed and with that side of the machine base from which the cylinder bed extends. The top section 28 is provided with an opening 30 shaped to conform with the outline in horizontal projection of the remaining three sides of the machine base at the level of the top of the cylinder bed.

The carrying case base sections 21 and 22 are located one relative to the other by a pair of pin-and-socket connections including pins 31 secured to the side wall portion of the base section 22 and socket members 32 carried by the sidewall portion of the base section 21. The pin 3 and socket connections 31--32 provide for separation of the carrying case base sections by lengthwise movement one section relative to the other. The carrying case base sections are held together by a pair of magnetic latches including magnetic member 33 secured to the sidewall portion of the base section 21 and ferrous brackets 34 secured to the sidewall portion of the base section 22.

The carrying case base section 22, of which the top portion is cut out to accommodate the machine base, is provided with two pins 35 secured to the inside of the sidewall portion and arranged at the proper spacing so as to enter one into each of the open ends 14 of the tubular sewing machine support 13 when the base section 22 is moved toward the sewing machine base in a direction lengthwise thereof. The carrying case base section 21, which may also be slid toward the sewing machine in a lengthwise direction thereon until the cutout 29 fits snugly against the cylinder bed of the sewing machine, is provided with a pin 36 secured to the inside of the sidewall portion and disposed to enter the transverse aperture 15 in the tubular sewing machine support 13 as the base section 2?. is moved into place with respect to the sewing machine. Guide rails 37 secured inside the base section 21 abut with a slight clearance against opposite sides of the tubular sewing machine support 13 and act to establish proper alignment of the carrying case base portion 21 with the base portion 22 as the base portion 21 is being moved into place on the sewing machine. Plates 38 secured to the guide rails 37 and projecting inwardly of the base section 21 beyond the guide rails are disposed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to overlie the tubular sewing machine support when the base section 21 is in place on the sewing machine. The plates 38 serve to prevent lateral tipping of the carrying case base with respect to the sewing machine and also provide runners on which the carrying case base section 21 slides along the tubular sewing machine support in being removed or replaced thereon. The carrying case base portions are each provided with resilient cushioning pads 39 which cushion the carrying case and prevent marring or scratching of the table top on which the carrying case might be placed.

The securing pins 35 and 36 and the runner plates 38 are arranged at such an elevation on the carrying case base that the cushioning pads 39 thereof will be elevated slightly above the level of similar cushioning pads 46 secured on a bottom closure panel 41 fast beneath the tubular sewing machine support 13 so that the carrying case base may be applied without lifting the sewing machine.

When the base sections 21 and 22 are applied to the sewing machine, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the pins 35 and 36 fix the base sections with respect to the sewing machine so that the cover 2%), when latched to the base sections, becomes in turn securely fastened to the sewing machine and thus the carrying case and sewing machine are locked together as a single unit and may be supported from the handle 35. With the cover it) removed and the base section 21 in place, the cylinder bed sewing machine is transformed by the top section of the carrying case base section 21 into the equivalent of a flat bed sewing machine. When the base section 21 is removed, simly by sliding it off the free end of the cylinder bed, then the sewing machine is readied for sewing tubular articles on the cylinder bed.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of carrying case base of this invention.

As illustrated in Fig. 6 the modified form of carrying case base comprises two separable base sections and 51 each provided with top plates 52 and 53, respectively as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5. A drop leaf extension 54 may be secured as by hinges 55' to the base section 5%). The drop leaf extension is preferably hinged so as to be turned upwardly when not in use to occupy a position within the cover 26. A sliding brace 56 may be applied between the drop leaf extension and the carrying 4- case base section to provide additional support for the drop leaf in its downturned operative position as illustrated in Fig. 6.

In place of the guide rails 37 and runner plates 38 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, the modified form as illustrated in Fig. 3 is provided with a cross brace 57 spanning the side walls of the carrying case base section 50 and secured to each of the sidewalls thereof. The cross brace 57 is formed with raised channels 58 disposed to overlie the branches of the U shaped tubular support 13 of the sewing machine. The cross brace 57 prevents tipping of the carrying case base with respect to the sewing machine and also elevates the carrying case base section 59 with respect to the sewing machine so that the cushioning pads 39 thereon will be raised slightly above the level of the sewing machine cushioning pads making it possible to apply the carrying case base without lifting the sewing machine. The sewing machine cushioning pad 140, illustrated in Fig. 8 is adapted to be applied directly to the tubular sewing machine support 13 and in this respect differs from the pad 49 illustrated in Fig. l. The cross brace 57 serves the additional purpose of stiffening the sides of the carrying case base portion 50 and may also be provided with an adjustable strut 59 secured beneath the top plate 52 of the carrying case base 50 to lend additional stiffening to this work supporting surface of the carrying case base.

In the modified form illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the carrying case base section 50 is provided with a pin 6!) arranged to enter the transverse aperture 15 in the tubular sewing machine support 12, while the base section 51 is provided with spaced pins 61 disposed to enter one in each of the open ends 14 of the tubular sewing machine support 13. A spiral spring 62 carried on the pin is disposed so as to be compressed when the base section 50 is positioned on the sewing machine so as to provide a biasing force tending to move the carrying case base section 50 outwardly away from the sewing machine.

Secured inside the carrying case base portion 50 and extending outwardly therefrom at each side are locating fingers 74), 71. The finger 7 0 enters a plain socket member 72 fixed on the one sidewall of the carrying case base portion 51. The locating finger 71 is formed in the upper edge with a notch 73 and enters a socket 74 carried by the opposite side-wall of the base portion 51. The socket 74, as illustrated in Fig. 7, has associated therewith a latch device serving to secure the carrying case base portions 56 and 51 together. For this purpose the socket 74 is formed with two upstanding ears 75, 76. A latch lever 77 is pivoted on the ear and adapted to engage the notch 73 in the locating finger 71. A depression 78 formed in the latch lever 77 is entered by a tooth 79 formed on a latch release lever 80 fulcrumed at 81 on the car 66 of the socket 74. An upwardly extending plunger 82 is pivoted to the latch release lever and provided at its upper extremity with a flanged button 83 which extends upwardly through the top plate 53 of the carrying case base portion 51. A spring 34 carried about the fulcrum 81 of the latch release lever enters at one extremity an aperture 85 in the latch release lever and is hooked at the other extremity beneath an anchor lug 86 formed on the socket 74. The spring 84 biases the iatch release lever and the plunger 82 into latch engaged position as illustrated in Fig. 7 in which the flanged button 83 engages the under surface of the top section 53 of the base portion 51. By depressing the button 83 the latch lever 77 will be withdrawn from the notch 73 and the carrying case base sections will be released one from the other and the spring 62 will separate the base sections. The latch will automatically reseat itself when the carrying case base sections are again moved together.

The carrying case base section 51 is provided with a latch device, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, for securing the carrying case base to the machine base 12 of the sewing machine. The latch device is supported on a bracket 90 secured to the carrying case base sidewall. A stop member 91 fitted with a resilient cushion pad 92 is formed with an elongated aperture 93 and secured to the bracket 90 by a screw 94 for limited adjustment toward and away from the carrying case base sidewall. Similarly adjustably secured to the bracket 90 by means of an elongated aperture 95 and a fastening screw 96 in a member 97 adapted to extend into an aperture 98 formed in the sewing machine base 12 when the carrying case base section 51 is moved into place on the sewing machine. Fulcrumed at 99 on the free extremity of the member 97 is a latch lever 100 formed with a notch 101 adapted to engage the wall of the sewing machine base 12. Pivoted to the latch lever at 102 is a plunger 103 provided at its upper extremity with a flanged button 104 which extends upwardly through the top plate 53 of the carrying case base section 52. A spring 105, secured to the latch lever 110 as by soldering, welding or the like, is hooked over an anchor lug 106 formed on the member 97 to bias the latch lever into the position illustrated in Fig. 8 in which the carrying case base section 52 is latched securely to the sewing machine. By depressing the button 104, the latch device will be released and the carrying case base section 51 may be removed from the sewing machine. The latch will automatically reseat itself when the carrying case base section 52 is again moved into place on the sewing machine base 12.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

l. A carrying case for a portable sewing machine having a bed formed with a work supporting surface and a supporting means defining a plane of support for said sewing machine beneath said work supporting surface, said carrying case comprising a carrying case base including a plurality of separable sections slidable into and out of assembled arrangement with each other and with the sewing machine, mating pin and socket con nections between each of said carrying case zbase sections and said sewing machine, said pin and socket connections being disposed for interlocking engagement when said carrying case base sections are shifted into assembled relation with the sewing machine to support said carrying case base sections thereon in a position elevated above the plane of support for said sewing machine, at least one of said carrying case base sections being formed with a work supporting surface disposed substantially flush with the work supporting surface of said sewing machine bed when said carrying case base section is supported on said sewing machine, a carrying case cover having an opening shaped to coincide with that of the assembled carrying case base sections, and means for securing said assembled carrying case base sections in said cover opening.

2. A bed extension for a sewing machine having a frame, sewing machine supporting means associated with said frame defining a plane of support for said sewing machine; and a cylinder bed extending from said frame and having a work supporting surface thereon, said bed extension comprising two sections slidable lineally into and out of assembled relation with each other, a substantially fiat work supporting surface carried by at least one of said bed extension sections, the work supporting surface of said bed extension being formed with an aperture shaped when said bed extension sections occupy assembled relations to conform with the outline of the work supporting surface of the cylinder bed and with the cross sectional outline of the sewing machine frame at the level of the work supporting surface of the cylinder bed, mating sets of pin and socket connections between each of said bed extension sections and said sewing machine, said, pin and socket connections being disposed for interlocking engagement when said bed extension sections are assembled on said sewing machine to support said bed extension with respect to said sewing machine above the plane of support of said sewing machine and with the bed extension work supporting surface disposed substantially flush with work supporting surface of said cylinder bed, and latch means arranged between said bed extension sections for maintaining said bed extension in assembled arrangement on said sewing machine.

3. A portable sewing machine having a frame, a bed extending from said frame and formed with a work supporting surface, a substantially U shaped tubular supporting member disposed beneath said frame defining a plane of support for said sewing machine, means securing the limbs of said U shaped tubular member to said sewing machine frame with the bight portion of said U shaped tubular member disposed beneath said sewing machine bed, said bight portion formed with a transverse aperture, a bed extension comprising two sections slidable lineally into and out of assembled relation with each other, a substantially flat work supporting surface carried by at least one of said bed extension sections, the work supporting surface of said bed extension being formed with an aperture shaped to conform with the outline of the work supporting surface of said sewing machine bed, pins carried by one of said bed extension sections and disposed to enter into the tubular limbs of said U shaped tubular sewing machine supporting member, a pin cairied by the other of said bed extension sections and disposed to enter said transverse aperture in the bight portion of said U shaped tubular member, said pins being disposed so as to locate the bed extension work supporting surface substantially flush with the work supporting surface of said sewing machine bed when said pins enter the tubular limbs and transverse aperture of said U shaped tubular sewing machine supporting member, and latch means arranged between said bed extension sections for maintaining said bed extension in assembled relation on said sewing machine.

4. A carrying case for a portable sewing machine having a frame, a bed extending from said frame and formed with a work supporting surface, a substantially U shaped tubular supporting member disposed beneath said frame defining a plane of support for said sewing machine, means securing the limbs of said U shaped tubular member to said sewing machine frame with the bight portion of said U shaped tubular member disposed beneath said sewing machine bed, said bight portion formed with a transverse aperture, said carrying case comprising a carrying case base including two separable sections slidable lineally into and out of assembled relation with each other, a substantially fiat work supporting surface carried by at least one of said carrying case base sections, the work supporting surface of said carrying case base being formed with an aperture shaped to conform with the outline of the work supporting surface of said sewing machine bed, pins carried by one of said carrying case base sections and disposed to enter into the tubular limbs of said U shaped tubular sewing machine supporting member, a pin carried by the other of said carrying case base sections and disposed to enter said transverse aperture in the bight portion of said U shaped tubular member, said pins being disposed so as to locate the carrying case base work supporting surface substantially flush with the work supporting surface of said sewing machine bed when said pins enter the tubular link and transverse apertures of said U shaped tubular sewing machine supporting member, a carrying case cover having an opening shaped to coincide with that of the assembled carrying case base sections, and means for securing said assembled carrying case base sections in said cover opening.

Colegrove July 18, 1950 Schaper Dec. 22, 1953 

